Feeding utensils for young children



a gun Sept. 11, 1956 F. J. MACK FEEDING UTENSILS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN Filed June 10, 1955 INVENTOR. FRANCIS J. MACK Ccwwz/ M W A TTORNEYS.

Unite States ice 2,762,120 FEEDING UTENSILS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN Francis J. Mack, Merchantville, N. 3. Application June 10, 1953, Serial No. 360,687 1 Claim. (Cl. 30-1) This invention relates to feeding utensils for children who have not reached the adult stage of muscular co-ordination.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a feeding utensil, such as a fork or a spoon, in which the handle portion is of such shape and dimensions as to permit a child in attempts at self-feeding to comfortably and securely grasp the handle in a natural manner, without adult assistance, and move the utensil in the complete feeding operation with ease and without unnecessary spilling.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent as the following description proceeds in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fork embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a spoon embodying the present invention;

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of the handle portion of the invention;

Figure 4 is a sectional View taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of a handle as shown in Figure 3; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a child with its hand in a position near the mouth.

Specific reference will now be made to the drawings wherein similar reference characters are used for corresponding elements throughout.

The present invention is based upon the discovery by the applicant that when a young child is about to grasp or grasps an object in the natural palmar grip and brings it to the mouth, the palm forms an inverted trapezoid 8, see Figure 6. This natural palmar grip can be described as the pressure of the fingers flat against the palm, the thumb not being brought into play but lying relaxed in juxtaposition with the edge of the palm. Applicant also discovered that when an object of particular configuration such as one of inverted trapezoid design is placed in front of a young child, the child can comfortably and securely grasp the object and bring it to the mout the inverted trapezoid position of the object in the palm being maintained throughout the movement by a simple flexing of the wrist. Applicant further discovered that when such an object is used as a handle on a feeding utensil, such as a fork or spoon, it will permit a child to perform, in a repetitive manner, the necessary and useful function of feeding despite the childs immature muscular co-ordination and without a prolonged training period.

In its broadest aspect, the present invention comprises a feeding utensil for children too young to have developed complete mastery of conventional feeding utensils and comprises a food-engaging element having a shank and an elongated handle secured to the shank, the handle having a vertical cross-section perpendicular to the axis of the shank which is an inverted trapezoid relative to the feeding surface of the food-engaging element.

One embodiment of the invention is shown in Figures 1 and 3-5 and comprises a fork having concavoconvex tines 10 with an integral substantially fiat shank 12. Secured by any suitable means to the shank 12 is an elongated handle 14 which is not limited to but preferably fabricated of a colored or uncolored plastic.

The handle 14 includes sides 16 and 18 which converge in the direction of the convex surface 20 of the tines of the fork. The vertical cross-section of the handle 14, as shown in Figure 4, is perpendicular to the axis of the shank 12 and is trapezoidal.

In other words, the major vertical plane of the handle is in alignment with the axis of the shank 12 and the vertical cross-section of the handle is perpendicular to the axis of the shank and is an inverted trapezoid with respect to the concave food-contacting surface of the fork.

It is this position and configuration of the handle which allows the same securely and comfortably to be grasped by the hand of the young child.

Moreover, it is this position and shape of the handle which allows the fork, when grasped, to be moved by the child, repetitively, between the food and the mouth with the tines of the work remaining in a horizontal position throughout the normal movements from food to mouth.

To aid the child in securely grasping the handle the same is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced indentations 22 at the juncture of the sides 16 and 18 and the bottom 24 of the handle.

The spoon of Figure 2 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention. It consists of a concavo-convex bowl 26 which is integral with a substantially flat shank 28. Secured to the shank 28 is an elongated handle 30 of the same shape and dimensions as that of the handle 14 previously described.

Thus, the handle 34) also has a vertical cross-section perpendicular to the axis of the shank 2S and which is a trapezoid which has sides that converge in the direction of the convex surface 32 of the bowl 26.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described hereinabove it will be understood that the principles of the present invention can be applied to any feeding utensil for use by older children suffering from cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy or infantile paralysis, ailments characterized by a lack of muscular co-ordination or a spastic condition of the muscles.

Thus minor variations may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A feeding utensil for a child in the first stages of selffeeding comprising a food-engaging element having a shank and an elongated handle secured to said shank, said handle having upper and lower facesand tapering sides, the vertical cross-section of said handle perpendicular to the axis of said shank being trapezoidal and inverted relative to the feeding surface of said foodengaging element, said shank being attached to said handle at a distance from said upper face of the handle approximately one-third of the depth of said tapering sides, the width of said upper face of said handle being approximately two-thirds the depth of said tapering sides, and said handle having indentations at the juncture of said tapering sides and the bottom, whereby a handle is provided that conforms to the natural palmar grip of a small child.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 93,644 Adler Oct. 23, 1934 D. 146,824 Goodwin May 27, 1947 485,264 Eberhard Nov. 1, 1892 1,789,930 Guth Jan. 20, 1931 2,650,425 Brandel Sept. 1, 1953 

